Thanks to everyone who participated in a fantastic festival! Many people told me they thought this was the best electro-music event yet. We hope to return to Star Lake next year. Stay tuned for photos, recordings, video clips, and planning about next year._________________www.gregwaltzer.com

It was wonderful. I especially loved that there were so many workshops and talks! In previous years, it's been kind of a show-and-tell, which is fun but there's only so many hours in a row you can sit and absorb musical stimuli. Maybe I was just unaware of a lot of stuff; I feel like in addition to e-m getting better, I've gotten better at experiencing the e-m event. It was the first time I attended a building-stuff workshop, and the first time I participated in a laptop battle. I was nervous! But it was so great!

I also signed up for meals for the first time and the vegan options were, for the most part, tasty, filling, and plentiful. I will dream of that butternut squash for months.

I also really liked the swap meet and now that I have an idea of what kind of stuff it involves (like, all stuff pretty much) I realize that I have a ton of things I want to bring to one next year. So please let's do this again! I will bring toys!

Were there not workshops in previous years, or did I just miss them? I missed all the jams in previous years but this year I was jamming every night, with everyone from Maté and Mel to Laura/Woodswalker.

I also really felt good about how many women were in evidence. I was a little dismayed a couple of times when I saw fellow females whom I didn't recognize, thinking "Sweet, more music I haven't heard before!" only to hear them say "I'm with the band, I'm so-and-so's girlfriend/daughter/whatever". But those couple of times aside, I was pumped to see Jeannie/EarthGirl and Rosemary/WakedLunch and Laura/Woodswalker, and get to talk to them and hang out and jam. Also, the young woman with braids on her head who came to ask for advice on modular synth building, she was great. In the past there have been great female performers on occasion, but I never really felt like they got wrapped into the whole spirit of things that makes e-m so special and also makes people want to come back. Hanging out with Jeannie/EarthGirl two years in a row made me feel like there's some female continuity happening, if that makes any sense. It was very comforting and encouraging for me, and really helped me experience the electro-music vibe fully. It also really set me at ease in a totally irrational way to know that Jeannie/EarthGirl was one of the three judges of my laptop battle performance. Of course I didn't expect to win, being so new to it, but the whole experience was more fun and relaxed for me because of her presence.

Semi-relatedly, I think we need to add a "Beginners Section" sub-forum to this site, or something similar to that. I think that would do a lot more for diversity in e-m than the "diversity" forum ever did or could do. It was a good idea but it was just so controversial that it kind of went supernova and then died. A beginners section wouldn't have that problem.

I actually thought of that idea from hearing the Casper Electronics guy say that he feels overwhelmed with awesomeness when he visits the forums. Not to imply that he's in any way a beginner, but I thought that even for non-beginners, a beginners area could be useful. Also even the most advanced electronic musician is going to be a beginner when they want to get into something outside their area of expertise and expand their horizons. A beginner's area would really encourage new participation, as well as expanding horizons for veteran participants as well. And the experts could go there to offer help and encouragement, which is a good feeling!_________________solo: http://www.myspace.com/skippyvodka
member of: http://24hoursthegirl.com
(a subsidiary of: http://ruori.org/ )
distro: http://paperisbad.com/

We had more DIY and circuit bending stuff this year than in the past. Joker Nies did a circuit bending workshop a few years back. I would also like to see a workshop about improvisation techniques, if we can find someone to lead it.

I guess the Ritual Laptop Smashing will become a regular event!_________________www.gregwaltzer.com

A beginner's forum sounds like a good idea and might very well draw in some who otherwise wouldn't ask questions. My only concern would be where to put it in the tree, and possible disconnects between questions asked in the more generic beginner's forum and already posted content and answers in the various more granular forums. I think that's worth discussing, but I'd back any decision made on it.

It was really great to talk with so many people, and I really enjoyed interviewing the 15 or so people who came by._________________Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.Home,My Studio,and another view

I was pumped to see Jeannie/EarthGirl and Rosemary/WakedLunch and Laura/Woodswalker, and get to talk to them and hang out and jam.

Yeah it was great meeting you too! Your words make me feel good...cause in reality, I stay in the background, don't socialize much, and nobody notices me or hangs out with me.

Everyone at the event was so welcoming, I got more socializing than I get in a year. That alone was beyond wonderful, and yeah it was great to meet some of the other girls/women who like synths, circuits & stuff like that.

And thanks to the guys at the circuit workshop who helped me with my dumb questions, I appreciated your help so much! Last time I checked, my gadget actually worked!

I must admit I'm terrible about remembering names of all the people who talked to me & were welcoming & nice. Thanks all of you. I think it was Edison Rex who encouraged me to record some music for e-m radio. OK, I'll try...!

Quote:

Semi-relatedly, I think we need to add a "Beginners Section" sub-forum to this site,

That would be great, and another idea for the next festival... my friend was saying "there'll probably be lots of vendors from big companies like Roland". Nope, no vendors at all! I would have actually liked to see some hands-on displays of equipment we could try. How else can I learn what new gadgets & stuff I need?

I wonder if there could be a workshop where people just brought their stuff & showed others how to use it & let them try. I don't know if this is a practical idea or not but I would just love to try out some devices like 1) nano-control 2) kaoss pad 3) theremin... you get the idea.

I mean after hearing all this great music, I want to know how it's done & try it myself!

Grins,
Laura_________________The most important music equipment is what's in front of the instrument.

Beth et al, I was thinking about that beginners section some more. Maybe it could be called "Start Here" and we could put stickies in to guide folks to articles and some of the existing posts that explain things. There is so much in the forums already, but finding it can be a pain even for a non-beginner. I can see how someone starting out would be easily overwhelmed by the forums.

Perhaps this should go in its own topic._________________Garret: It's so retro.
EGM: What does retro mean to you?
Parker: Like, old and outdated.Home,My Studio,and another view

Nice idea for a beginner's forum, I'd call it "Beginners" or "Beginner's Forum" or somesuch.

The laptop battle was the highlight of my participation in the festival. That's because I wasn't ready to be a performer yet (will next year) so it gave me a low-key way to do a performance. Being one of the winners and performing with Howard at the end really juiced me up.

In fact, the whole festival was like some kind of natural high the entire time. I stayed up until I all but passed out of exhaustion at 2 or 4 am, then woke up at daybreak of 7:30 am or so just naturally because my mind seemed to want to soak up every ounce of it.

I've been very concerned about finances since I gave up my engineering career ten years ago, thinking that I'll need to generate some decent income soon or else. At the same time I knew like we all do that it's other things in life that really matter. Well, somehow this festival drove that point home to me. I now could take a lighter and burn a hundred dollar bill just to prove the point: you can't take it with you, but music and friendship are eternal. When we pass, we'll bring all our music with us and jam in the afterlife...

Thanks to everyone who participated in a fantastic festival! Many people told me they thought this was the best electro-music event yet. We hope to return to Star Lake next year. Stay tuned for photos, recordings, video clips, and planning about next year.

Thank you Greg, Howard, and everyone for making a wonderful and memorable experience! _________________ ElectroCasa

I don't know if this is what you mean, but I've always found it hard to get involved in big forums that have been established for a long time.

It took me several years to get to the point where I actually feel like a contributing member of this one, so maybe a general introductions and getting to know each other area would help people get over this_________________Jez
music | adventures in sound

The laptop battle was the highlight of my participation in the festival. That's because I wasn't ready to be a performer yet (will next year) so it gave me a low-key way to do a performance. Being one of the winners and performing with Howard at the end really juiced me up.

Les

Yeah, my biggest regret was I missed some of the performances!!! I just couldn't be in that many places at once!

Too bad there wasn't video streaming and a video archive as well!_________________The most important music equipment is what's in front of the instrument.

My only regret is not being able to be everywherre, see everything, do all, all the time.

Laura, sorry I couldn't n\be more help to you in the workshop. I was trying to complete a project from the previous nights workshop, keep up with the workshop from Casperelectronics, answer questions from two different people, I became overwhelemed. I am sorry I was not able to help you more. I found my limits. I am sorry.

Laura, I enjoyed our conversations and your jam with Mel and others on Thursday (IIRC). Your LED neckace was pretty cool too, and you were right it looked even better in the dark with that cloudy enclosure that you used. I hope to see you in future festivals and please do not be a stranger on the forum.

My only regret is not being able to be everywherre, see everything, do all, all the time.

Laura, sorry I couldn't n\be more help to you in the workshop. I was trying to complete a project from the previous nights workshop, keep up with the workshop from Casperelectronics, answer questions from two different people, I became overwhelemed. I am sorry I was not able to help you more. I found my limits. I am sorry.

Yeah, actually I'm sorry I was such a PEST at the workshop!! Thanks for your patience everyone who was there._________________The most important music equipment is what's in front of the instrument.

I just got home last night to rainy Portland. I had an amazing time at the festival - everyone was so friendly and the music was of a very high caliber. It was great meeting so many new people, and I hope to be more of a participant in the coming year.

I just got home last night to rainy Portland. I had an amazing time at the festival - everyone was so friendly and the music was of a very high caliber. It was great meeting so many new people, and I hope to be more of a participant in the coming year.

this was my first attendance at an electro-music event (not to mention my first forum posting—been a trawler for some time, though), and as far as i was concerned, i thought it a tremendous success. well organized, with nary a hitch (save for the self-immolating kitchen, which ultimately was nothing more than blip on the [event] horizon), it demonstrated how effective and successful such a happening can be when done the right way.

i was frankly amazed at the consistently high level of quality maintained by all performers i witnessed; virtually everyone produced invigorating sounds that never failed to impress. i don't mean to single out some artists over others, but highlights included kevin kissinger's absolutely mesmerizing performance (the best exhibition of theremin playing i have ever seen - 'ol leo would've been proud!); richard lainhart's immersive drones; don slepian's workshop set that had him corralling mini-fugues from his dancing fingers; jez creek's mind-blowing abstract textures; earthgirl & shane morris's truck through many an electronic sub-genre; jim spitznagel's bent circuits & whorling tapestries; logan mitchell's superb doepfer diagrams; northern valentine's melancholic atmospheres, and on & on.

visually, the images that each artist used to accompany their sets was beyond reproach; again, i have to say it included some of the most ingenious, expressive, and inventive use of imagery i have seen for electronic performance, every bit as complimentary to the sounds augured.

finally, the time spent meeting and socializing with so many like-minded souls at the festival made for one of the highlights of the year. not sure where to begin here, but springing to mind: scott raymond of wvkr; jez creek, proudly representing the rugged u.k. em scene; the aforementioned jim spitznagel, richard lainhart, and don slepian, gentleman all. again, the small conversations that ultimately grew out of the many encounters made throughout the weekend yielded much in the way of intelligent, enlightened, highly enjoyable discourse.

and, of course, i would be remiss if i didn't mention both greg & howard, whom i finally had the pleasure to meet after years of only being aware of them through their work under their plethora of aliases (fringe element, mutation vector, the superb holosphere w/jem aka symmetry, another gent it was a pleasure to speak with). i hope to host many if not all the above at future one thousand pulses events.

here's to e-m 2010 - i will undoubtedly be there._________________DARREN BERGSTEIN
One Thousand Pulses / concerts in the home hi-fi zone
thousandpulses@verizon.net

absolutely, jez! it was great to finally meet and talk. we will most certainly keep in touch.

hope you had a great time in the big apple.

loved all the recordings i picked up from you @ the fest - last night played that astrogator 'elektron 2008'...have to get both you & steve over here. please give him my regards._________________DARREN BERGSTEIN
One Thousand Pulses / concerts in the home hi-fi zone
thousandpulses@verizon.net

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou cannot attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum

Please support our site. If you click through and buy from our affiliate partners, we earn a small commission.